Alabama’s Near-Total Ban on Abortion has America Divided

We can all agree that life is precious in all its forms. We can also agree that women should have full jurisdiction over their bodies. Then we get to the issue of abortion, and there’s a division. This week has seen Americans in an uproar after a controversial abortion bill was signed into law on Wednesday by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. This new law means that doctors who perform abortions could face a lifetime in prison. But what exactly does this new law entail and why is everyone so divided on it?

Completely banning abortion

CNN reports that the new law does not just ban abortion performed because of unwanted pregnancies, it also bans abortion for rape and incest victims. While Democrats introduced an amendment to exempt these victims from the new law, the motion failed on an 11 to 21 vote. The only cases in which an abortion would be legal is if the “unborn child has a lethal anomaly”. This means that women who are victims of rape and incest will be forced to carry a child that will remind them of that horrible moment.

Governor Kay Ivey announced the new law on Twitter

Governor Kay Ivey took to Twitter on Wednesday to announce the signing of the new law.

Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act. To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious & that every life is a sacred gift from God. https://t.co/DwKJyAjSs8pic.twitter.com/PIUQip6nmw

Enforcing the law may prove to be difficult

Ivey admitted that enforcing the new law may be difficult because of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in all 50 states in 1973, but added that it is time for the court to revisit their decision.

“No matter one’s personal view on abortion, we can all recognize that, at least for the short term, this bill may similarly be unenforceable. As citizens of this great country, we must always respect the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court even when we disagree with their decisions. Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973. The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur.”

Social media exploded with protests

People across the country were outraged at the news and social media was soon flooded with Democrats and celebrities raising their voices to oppose the new law. Former Democratic presidential nominee Hilary Clinton also let her voice be heard, saying that the bill is an example of “appalling attacks on women’s lives and fundamental freedoms.”

Celebrities used their platform to voice their opinion about the new law, and most seemed to be against it.

take a look. these are the idiots making decisions for WOMEN in America.
Governor Kay Ivey…SHAME ON YOU!!!! pic.twitter.com/WuAjSVv6TH

Other celebrities opened up about their own experiences with abortion, saying that they wanted to put it out there to make people understand why it’s necessary that the new law is not passed.

1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Many people think they don’t know someone who has, but #youknowme. So let’s do this: if you are also the 1 in 4, let’s share it and start to end the shame. Use #youknowme and share your truth.

In 2012, I had an abortion. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. I still think about it to this day. But these truths do not make me regret my decision. It was the right choice for me, at that time in my life. I have not a single doubt about this. #YouKnowMe

A post shared by Minka Kelly (@minkakelly) on May 16, 2019 at 5:48am PDT

The decision was made by a male-dominated State Legislature

The New York Times report that one of the many reasons people are upset about the new law is because the State Legislature who made the decision is overwhelmingly dominated by men. Of the 140 seats in the Alabama Legislature, only 22 are held by women. On social media, women were outraged that a decision about their bodies was made by a State Legislature that consists of mostly men. On the other hand, opinion polling in the past has shown that the majority of Alabama is against abortion.

Back in 2014, 58 percent of Alabamians voted for abortion to be illegal in all or most cases, and of the 58 percent, 51 percent were women, according to the Pew Research Center. State records also show that the number of abortions performed each year in Alabama has declined with a significant amount from 2007 to 2017. In 2007, 11,276 abortions were performed. By 2017, the number had decreased to 6,678.

The new law left the country divided

Despite the fact that a lot of people in Alabama are in favor of the new law, there are many others who are not happy with the new development at all. Statements from those who are in favor of it mostly cited religion as the main factor for their opposition to abortion. Caroline Reddy, 32, who is the mother of two children, said that she believes humanity shouldn’t get to decide who gets to live and who gets to die.

“I’m Christian and I don’t believe we need to be playing God, deciding who gets born and who gets aborted. I believe it’s murder. If people would have behaved in a proper way they wouldn’t be in that situation.”

Another woman who shared this view, Mallory Parker, 17, said that she believes every child that is conceived serves a purpose.

“I believe if a woman carries a child, despite the situation, it is part of God’s plan. No one is asking her to raise it, but I do believe if that child was created, it has a purpose, and it’s our duty to humanity to allow it life, instead of dictating if it should live or not just because of how it got here.”

Then there were those with opposing views. Many women said that the new law makes them very uneasy. Erin Arnold, a biology teacher from Birmingham, said that women should have full jurisdiction over their bodies.

“It’s insulting as an educated woman – in consultation with my highly educated doctor – that I can’t come to a decision that’s best for me and for my health. A woman should have agency over her body. I sometimes wonder if Alabama is the state to raise my children. I waver. When laws like this pass, it’s frustrating.”

There are people ready to oppose the new law

Whether the Supreme Court will revisit its decision of 1973 remains to be seen. American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama Executive Director Randall Marshall said that he is ready to take Ivey to court and will not allow the new law to pass.

“By signing this bill, the governor and her colleagues in the state legislature have decided to waste millions in Alabama taxpayer dollars in order to defend a bill that is simply a political effort to overturn 46 years of precedent that has followed the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. We will not allow that to happen, and we will see them in court. Despite the governor signing this bill, clinics will remain open, and abortion is still a safe, legal medical procedure at all clinics in Alabama.”

This is clearly not going to be an easy case – and with so many different opinions out there, it can be hard to pick a side. One thing that cannot be overlooked is the fact that this new law will prevent rape and incest victims from ending an unwanted pregnancy. Not having that freedom could have horrible repercussions for those people. A lot of things would have to fall in place for this law to become permanent, so in the meantime, all we can do is wait and hope for the best.

Over to you: what do you think of this new law? Should abortion be illegal no matter what or should there be exceptions? Sound off in the comments.

One Response

Can a law “leave a nation divided” if the nation is already divided? Divided in the sense that we are a nation of people with varying levels of emotional intelligence. Many of us were simply not taught the tools to develop emotional intelligence. Thus, a division with a snake like border exists among the populace. Like a snake, the border fluctuates to the topic, yet it exists so long as the real issue continues—that of emotional inteligence. That is, The ability to be self- aware of how your actions effect yourself and others to the level that you strive to live in harmony with yourself and creation. Both sides to this law have merits, no? Killing a unborn baby is still killing a baby. Giving birth to a baby conceived in rape is still a baby. Birthing a baby at the risk of death seems to be part of the risk of life itself. Is the “right” to have an abortion really a “right” to your own body if the human and spirit residing within is in fact its own consciousness? The argument against the law seems to be rooted that the baby is of the mothers body. Yet, we are not our bodies. We are something beyond the body. We are spirit that inhabits the organism.

Hi there! I’m Marica Laing, all the way from South Africa. I am a yoga and cat lover, a music addict, and take my tea with two sugars. French fries are my guilty pleasure. In my free time you’ll find me with my nose buried in a good book. I am always looking for the next great adventure.